“Like northern NJ needed another mall or something...”
Well, they probably felt they needed one there because it is in a county that has Blue Laws and they wanted to exempt it); currently NYC shoppers (to avoid the higher NY/NYC taxes) have to drive further on Sundays to reach a mall.
Officials admitted after it failed to open that it was really for foreign NYC tourists, and since much of that tourism dried up the anchors were only committing to using the minimum space allowed under their agreements. Americans weren’t supposed to be shopping there; they were supposed to be serving meals and cleaning toilets there.
Da gangsta’s took over a mall here and it died totally within a year or two. It is now a big, empty lot. (Southwick in Toledo)
The surviving mall has taken steps to prevent gangsta groups from having the same effect, but you still see 5 or six droop-drawered a’holes walking ABREAST against the flow, daring you to do something about it.